Grave-digger&#39;s dirt-box.



H. M. STAHL. GRAVE DIGGERB DIRT BOX. APPLICATION TILED JUNE? 1910 Patented Apr. 18; 1911.

2 RENEE-SHEET 1- Wit/Wm l APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 1910.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911. 1

2' SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HARVEY M. STAHL, 0F SUNBURY, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRAVE-DIGGERS DIRT-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 7, 1910.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

Serial No. 565,448.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1", HARVEY M. STAHL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sunbury, in the county of Northumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Grave- Diggers Dirt-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a box designed especially for use in graveyards for the purpose of receiving the earth that is thrown up in digging a grave so that the earth Wlll not scatter over the grass and ruin the same.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide an extremely simple, practical and durable device of this character which can be readily taken apart for cartage from one grave to another and easily and quickly set up when desired for use.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a dirt-receiving box which has detachable side and end Walls and a bottom made of sections to which the said walls are firmly fastened when the box is set up, the said box being positioned alongside of the grave to be dug so that the dirt can be thrown directly into the box to be retained thereby and prevented from spreading over the lawn, and by reason of this, the dirt can be quickly returned to the grave.

With these objects in view and others, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularitv in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box set up for use. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of one end of the box taken on the line 22, Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is an intermediate section taken on line 33, Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 44, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one end of the central section of the box bottom. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of one end of the rear sect-ion of the box bottom. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective View of the upper rear corner of one of the ends of the box.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring to the drawings, A. designates the bottom of the box, on which are positioned detachable end walls B, a rear wall 0, and a front wall or gate D, the said box being open at its top so that the dirt can be thrown into the same.

The bottom A consists of front, intermediate and rear sections a, a and a respectively, which are separable so that the bottom will not be as cumbersome as if it were made in one piece. Each section of the bottom is composed of boards 1 that are fastened to cross pieces or cleats 2 disposed under the boards. In the present instance, each section has four cleats, one at each end and two arranged at intermediate points. The cleats 2 of the middle section a are longer than the width of the section so as to project beyond the edges thereof and extend under the front and rear sections a and a", and the cleats of these latter sections terminate inwardly from the inner edges of the boards to permit the projecting ends of the cleats 011 the central section to lap under the other sections, the cleats of all the sections being arranged in alinement. By arranging the bottom in this manner, the sections will be supported in the same plane. The cleats on the rear section a of the bottom are prolonged rearwardly beyond the back of the box, and in these extending portions 2 of the cleats are mortises 3 for receiving the tenons 4 of the posts 17 on the rear wall C of the box. The intermediate cleats of the rear section a extend rearwardly to a greater distance than the end cleats, and they are provided with recesses 5 to receive the lower ends 6 of braces 7 for the rear wall to prevent the latter from bulging open rearwardly under the weight of the earth in the box.

The end walls B are constructed of boards 8 which are fastened to posts or standards 9 which have their lower ends set into sockets or mortises 10 formed in the boards of the bottom, and on the lower ends of these posts or standards 9 are tenons 11 which fit into mortises 12 in the end cleats 2 of the bottom. The rear standard or post 9 has its upper end 13 projecting above the top edge of the wall and is formed with a transverse notch or seat 14 for receiving a clamping ring 15 fastened to the adjacent corner posts of the rear wall G. The rear wall 0 is also made of horizontally disposed boards 16 fastened to standards or posts 17 on the lower ends of which are the tenons 4, heretofore described. The end posts 14 have secured to their upper ends the clamping rings 15 that swing in staples 18 fastened to the post 17. On the inner face of the rear side 0 of the box are cleats or stops 19 behind which engage the rear posts 9 on the end walls B so that the latter will be prevented from bulging laterally under the weight of the earth in the box. The braces 7 have their upper ends engaged in recesses 21 in the intermediate posts 17 of the rear wall.

The front wall or gate D is removable from the box without taking the other walls down, and in beginning to fill the box, the front wall is not used, so that the soil can be more easily thrown into the box. After a while, however, the gate or front wall is placed in the box so as to retain the earth and prevent it from rolling back into the grave, it being understood that the open side of the box will be positioned along the side of the grave. The gate D consists of boards 22 which are of a length to fit between the end walls B, and these boards are secured together by vertical cleats 23. The ends of the boards 22 bear against the inner surfaces of the boards 8 of the end walls,

and by drawing the end walls together, the front wall will be frictionally clamped in position. For this purpose, a clamping or drawing device E is employed, the same consisting of two rods connected together by a turn buckle 24 threaded on the inner ends of the rods, and the outer ends of the rods are formed into hooks 25 that engage over the top edges of the end walls behind the front posts 9. By turning the turn buckle 24: in the proper direction, the end walls will be drawn toward each other so that the front wall will be clamped firmly in place.

In setting up the box, the sections of the bottom are arranged in their proper relation and then the rear wall set up on the rear section of the bottom, the tenons a of the posts 17 being engaged in the mortises 3 in the extensions of the cleats 2 and then the braces 7 inserted. An end wall is next placed on the bottom A with the tenons 11 of the posts 9 seated in the mortises 12 and the rear edge of the wall bearing against the vertical cleats 19 of the rear wall. The clamping ring 15 is then swung forwardly over the upper rounded end of the rear post 9 on the end wall and the ring finally engaged in the seat 14. The other rear wall is fastened in place in the same manner. The clamping device E prevents the ends of the box at the front from spreading as the earth is shoveled into the box. At a suitable time the front wall is set into the box and clamped by tightening the device E so as to prevent the earth from rolling back out of the box into the grave.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the-advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. A grave diggers dirt box comprising a bottom having mortises at its edges, end walls including supporting posts therefor having downwardlyextending tenons to engage in the mortises at the ends of the bottom, a rear wall including posts, having downwardly-extending tenons for engaging in the mortises at the rear edge of the bottom, means for detachably connecting the rear and end walls together, members extending from the rear of the bottom, and detachable braces between the said members and rear wall.

2. A grave diggers dirt box comprising a bottom having mortises at its edges, end walls including supporting posts therefor having downwardly-extending tenons to engage in the mortises at the ends of the bottom, a rear wall including posts, having downwardly-extending tenons for engaging in the mortises at the rear edge of the bottom, means for detachably connecting the rear and end walls together, and a device detachably connected with the front ends of the end walls to prevent spreading of the latter.

3. A grave diggers dirt box comprising a bottom having mortises at its edges, end

walls including supporting posts therefor having downwardly-extending tenons to engage in the mortises at the ends of the bottom, a rear wall including posts, having downwardly-extending tenons for engaging in the mortises at the rear edge of the bottom, means for detachably connecting the rear and end walls together, a device detachably connected with the front ends of the end walls to prevent spreading of the latter, and a front wall set in between and clamped by the said device to the said end walls and resting on the bottom.

4. A grave diggers dirt box comprising in combination a bottom made of separable sections each consisting of boards and cleats, the cleats on one section extending under the boards of the adjacent section, end and side walls resting on the said bottom, mortise and tenon joints between the bottom and said walls, means for detachably connecting the walls together, members extending rearwardly from the rear section of the bottom, detachable braces disposed exterior to the box and arranged between the said members and the rear wall, and a device detachably connected at its ends with the upper front corners of the end Walls for preventing spreading of the latter.

5. A grave diggers box comprising a bottom having sockets at its ends, and mortises in the bottom of the sockets, end walls including posts havin their lower ends seated in the sockets and also having on their lower ends tenons seated in the said mor tises, said bottom having members extending outwardly from the rear edge of the bottom and having mortises, a rear Wall, end

and intermediate posts on the rear wall formed at their lower ends with tenons engaging in the mortises of the said members, means on the end posts for detachably connecting the rear and end walls together, cleats on the rear wall behind which the end walls engage, and braces removably disposed between the rear wall and certain of the said members.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HARVEY M. STAHL. Witnesses:

GEO. E. DEPPIN, S. E. ELLIOTT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .D. G. 

